San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch admitted they inquired about the trade availability of Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Nevertheless, the discussion apparently didn't take long and the thought of a deal happening between the 49ers and the Packers was quickly off the table.
“When the MVP of the league might be available, and I didn't know that, I'm just reading the tea leaves like everybody else and saying, ‘Hold on, is something going on here?' Yeah, we inquired and it was a quick in to the conversation, it wasn't happening.”
According to Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, though, they never had discussions with Lynch and the 49ers, per Rob Demovsky. So, who is telling the truth here?
Article Continues BelowPackers GM Brian Gutekunst tried to clear up a few things:
* They never told Rodgers that they would trade him. "Absolutely false.*
* He never talked to 49ers GM John Lynch.
* He said he got one call inquiring about a trade for Rodgers after today’s news broke. pic.twitter.com/DKu5HF24rY
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 30, 2021
Whether that conversation happened or not, Lynch is right. It's definitely intriguing when there are trade rumors surrounding the reigning MVP of the league. Of course, the 49ers were just curious about all the Aaron Rodgers chatter and simply made an inquiry. Nevertheless, as soon as both sides realized they were never going to come to terms on a deal, they immediately shut the conversation down.
Rodgers is reportedly very displeased with the Packers as they continue to negotiate a long-term deal. In fact, the 37-year-old has reportedly soured on Green Bay to the point that he has said he wants out. He also apparently already gave Green Bay a list of possible trade destinations, which includes the 49ers. However, the Packers have zero interest in trading Rodgers.
While the 49ers surely would have loved to have traded for Rodgers, they have to like the position they're in at quarterback anyway. They gave up a ton of future draft assets to move up to third in the 2021 NFL Draft to select their franchise quarterback, and ultimately wound up taking Trey Lance. Jimmy Garoppolo is still in place and could be a veteran stopgap if he's not dealt, with Lance then coming along as the quarterback of the future.